Save one meal each month for moon bears
This is Wilfred. He lives in Chengdu, China. He’s an early-middle-age moon bear (not because he’s from the Moon but because like everyone in his species, he has a moon-shape patch of yellow fur on his chest). He likes watermelon and loves to climb. On paper, he’s my sponsored bear.
Wilfred is blind in both eyes, most likely a result of the poor treatment for bile-farmed bears. But at least he’s alive and now cared for in an animal shelter, something that thousands of his species can only dream of while being barred in iron cages, fed only gruel and extracted bile twice a day.
Bile farming — In Asia, there’s a belief that bear bile, a digestive juice produced from the liver and stored in the gall bladder, has medicinal effects. This belief originates from China, spreads to the neighboring countries, and results in the shameful practice of bile farming. Wild bears are hunted and kept captive in “bile farms”, where their abdomens are pierced to extract the bile from the gall bladders twice a day. Only rarely is there anesthesia, their abdomens are either stabbed repeatedly until the gall bladder is found, or the wound is kept perpetually open (not allowed to heal), which causes infection and so much pain that they would chew their own paws. The bears stay in cages designed for easy access to their abdomen, and the cages are too small for them to stand up or move around at all. They live for years in such condition until they no longer produce any bile, when they are killed for meat, fur, paws and gall bladders, or until they die from malnutrition and diseases.
Bear bile farming started in North Korea in the 1980s and spread to China, South Korea, Vietnam and most recently Laos (since 2005, when Vietnam banned bile farming). Today, bile trade is legal in China, Laos, Japan and South Korea, and illegal in Vietnam (however, due to loopholes and government negligence, bile farming still exists in Vietnam *sigh*).
Bear rescue — Organizations such as Animals Asia set out to negotiate with the governments and the farmers in these countries to rescue the bears and to provide them medical care (many bears need surgery after being rescued because of the years of damage) and food in bear sanctuaries. To date, Animals Asia has rescued a total of 400 bears. However, tens of thousands are still in bile farms, mainly in China. It’s an arduous process to convince the indifferent, money-hoarding governments and the farmers, who, for the benefit of the doubts, are presumably just trying to make a living. It’s also expensive to raise bears the humane way.
I had known about bile farming for many years, but I never looked up any information about it. As time passed, it became something like the thinning of the ozone layer – a problem that I feel so troubled by that I buried in the back of my head and avoided thinking about it altogether. Early August, my mom saw on TV that some organization was rescuing bears from Ha Long Bay (Vietnam), and she told me about it. That organization turned out to be Animals Asia. One of their programs is “sponsoring a bear,” a monthly donation program. You can sponsor a normal bear for $45, or a special care bear (one that is more severely damaged from bile farming, like Wilfred) for $55 a month.
It doesn’t take a whole lot to help — Forty five dollars was exactly how much I paid for one dinner at Belli (after my cousin took care of more than half the bill). That dinner wasn’t anything exceptional either, that’s just how much one would expect to spend on a decent meal made of good ingredients around Berkeley. In the past two years, I regularly spent this much or more per dinner, which is quite outrageous when you think about it. Even more outrageous is that rarely did those expensive meals leave me satisfied. So that just leaves a bad taste. But now, with the money I spend on one single meal, Wilfred can have enough food for a month, and I believe he enjoys his food a lot more than I enjoy mine.
Admittedly, it feels weird talking about my spending and donation. It sounds like I’m bragging about my non-existent wealth and puny generosity, and I apologize for that (._.). My intention, though, is to advertise for Animals Asia and hope to convince you to donate for the bears (._.). Animals Asia seems different from other wild life organizations – they don’t bombard us with letters, stationaries and calendars. The donated money at least doesn’t seem to be spent on advertising and “raising awareness”, but goes straight to the animals.
On my end, except for special occasions and work-related meals, you won’t see me stuffing my face at restaurants anymore [says the girl who just stuffed herself with pork shoulder last week!]. Wilfred (and his bear buddies) are holding down the fort for me. I only wish I could take a picture of them chowing.
P.S. Animals Asia’s website is not quite easily navigated at the moment [Update: Animals Asia tweeted me that they’re in the process of changing website], so here are some info links, if you’re interested in donating for the bears *wink wink nudge nudge*
Thanx for the effort, keep up the good work Great work, I am going to start a small Blog Engine course work using your site I hope you enjoy blogging with the popular BlogEngine.net.Thethoughts you express are really awesome. Hope you will right some more posts.
1It is in reality a great and helpful piece of info. I’m glad that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
2I am often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new information.
3I’d constantly want to be update on new blog posts on this internet site, saved to favorites! .
4I enjoy the efforts you have put in this, thanks for all the great blog posts.
5I regard something really special in this web site.
6예약할 때 날짜와 인원, 도착 시간을 미리 정리해서 전달하면 조건을 확인하기 편합니다. 제주 가라오케 예약 전 체크사항도 함께 참고해 보세요.
7I’ve been browsing online more than 3 hours as of late, yet I by no means found any interesting article like yours. It is beautiful price enough for me. Personally, if all webmasters and bloggers made just right content as you probably did, the net will likely be much more helpful than ever before. “Perfection of moral virtue does not wholly take away the passions, but regulates them.” by Saint Thomas Aquinas.
8I’ve read a few good stuff here. Certainly value bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how much attempt you set to create the sort of wonderful informative site.
9obviously like your website but you need to take a look at the spelling on several of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling problems and I to find it very bothersome to tell the truth then again I will definitely come again again.
10Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive read anything like this before. So good to seek out someone with some original ideas on this subject. realy thanks for starting this up. this web site is one thing that’s needed on the internet, somebody with a little originality. useful job for bringing one thing new to the internet!
11Hello! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any issues with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing several weeks of hard work due to no backup. Do you have any solutions to stop hackers?
12Have you ever thought about writing an e-book or guest authoring on other blogs? I have a blog based upon on the same information you discuss and would love to have you share some stories/information. I know my visitors would appreciate your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e-mail.
13I enjoy what you guys tend to be up too. Such clever work and reporting! Keep up the wonderful works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to our blogroll.
14Lovely just what I was looking for.Thanks to the author for taking his clock time on this one.
15Outstanding post, I think website owners should learn a lot from this weblog its real user friendly.
16Thanx for the effort, keep up the good work Great work, I am going to start a small Blog Engine course work using your site I hope you enjoy blogging with the popular BlogEngine.net.Thethoughts you express are really awesome. Hope you will right some more posts.
17Hi, Neat post. There is a problem with your web site in internet explorer, would test this… IE still is the market leader and a good portion of people will miss your great writing because of this problem.
18Valuable information. Lucky me I found your web site by accident, and I am shocked why this accident did not happened earlier! I bookmarked it.
19Hello. fantastic job. I did not anticipate this. This is a splendid story. Thanks!
20Howdy! I just would like to give an enormous thumbs up for the nice information you might have here on this post. I can be coming back to your blog for more soon.
21I am glad that I noticed this web site, precisely the right information that I was looking for! .
22I too conceive hence, perfectly pent post! .
23Great amazing issues here. I am very satisfied to peer your article. Thank you a lot and i’m looking ahead to touch you. Will you kindly drop me a mail?
24I’ve recently started a web site, the info you provide on this web site has helped me tremendously. Thank you for all of your time & work. “The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.” by Vince Lombardi.
25Great post. I am facing a couple of these problems.
26A person essentially help to make seriously articles I would state. This is the first time I frequented your website page and thus far? I surprised with the research you made to make this particular publish extraordinary. Magnificent job!
27I was very pleased to find this web-site.I wanted to thanks for your time for this wonderful read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you blog post.
28Thanks for sharing superb informations. Your web-site is very cool. I am impressed by the details that you’ve on this website. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for extra articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found just the information I already searched everywhere and simply couldn’t come across. What a perfect website.
29Super-Duper site! I am loving it!! Will be back later to read some more. I am taking your feeds also
30Benar-benar mantap informasi dapat ditemukan di blog.
31Oh my goodness! an amazing article dude. Thank you Nonetheless I’m experiencing issue with ur rss . Don’t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anybody getting identical rss downside? Anybody who knows kindly respond. Thnkx
32Postingan yang sangat berguna. Saya baru menelusuri informasi seperti ini dan saya gembira menemukannya di sini. Terima kasih banyak telah berbagi.
33Some genuinely great info , Sword lily I detected this.
34Heya i am for the first time here. I found this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out a lot. I’m hoping to present something back and help others like you aided me.
35As a Newbie, I am constantly browsing online for articles that can help me. Thank you
36I haven’t checked in here for some time because I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are great quality so I guess I’ll add you back to my daily bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
37Would love to always get updated great blog! .
38I’d always want to be update on new content on this website , bookmarked! .
39Please let me know if you’re looking for a author for your blog. You have some really great posts and I feel I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d love to write some articles for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please shoot me an e-mail if interested. Kudos!
40Throughout the grand design of things you actually secure an A with regard to effort and hard work. Exactly where you confused everybody was first in the facts. As people say, the devil is in the details… And it could not be more true at this point. Having said that, allow me say to you what exactly did work. Your article (parts of it) is actually really persuasive and this is probably the reason why I am taking an effort in order to opine. I do not really make it a regular habit of doing that. Next, despite the fact that I can certainly see the leaps in logic you come up with, I am definitely not confident of just how you appear to unite the points which in turn produce your conclusion. For now I will, no doubt subscribe to your position but hope in the future you actually connect the facts better.
41I gotta favorite this web site it seems very useful handy
42I really appreciate this post. I have been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You have made my day! Thanks again!
43A penis insise a vaginaPenis pymps victoria bc caPorn esimoNatural magazine book health beauty oily teenJiizz
44big titsTeeen hidden cameraFree dkctor pussy xnxx Big tjtted nakrd university womenFere
mobile pornWho created tthe mobius strip1960 s yearbook upskirt picturesHairfy models pornHardcore
porn sample videoPofnstar prncess donnaPlacing on nassal stripsStraight
guys jerk off contestAsian tranny weeb cam https://xxxxlulu.com/ Poorn store florida locationGirrl
strips on howard ster showVintage dooney bohrke purseEvva lpngoria porn picsIndian virgi pussy videosMovie
surprise trannyDream hoop teenSometimes it sucks to be me xnxx Cooked turkey breast recipeAdult 70 s paperback booksAdult seaarch engine boggleWifee getting spankedWatch free disney porn online nowFree adventer sex gameFree sexy game download
A person necessarily help to make severely posts I’d state. This is the very first time I frequented your web page and so far? I surprised with the research you made to make this actual publish incredible. Excellent task!
45I must convey my appreciation for your kindness giving support to people who actually need guidance on this concept. Your real commitment to getting the message all through has been particularly practical and has really encouraged others much like me to get to their dreams. The valuable help and advice entails a great deal to me and far more to my colleagues. Regards; from all of us.
46Rattling wonderful information can be found on web site. “Wealth may be an ancient thing, for it means power, it means leisure, it means liberty.” by James Russell Lowell.
47Outstanding post, I think website owners should larn a lot from this weblog its real user pleasant.
48I just could not depart your site before suggesting that I extremely enjoyed the usual information a person provide to your visitors? Is going to be back regularly to inspect new posts.
49I really like your writing style, excellent information, regards for posting :D. “Much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid.” by Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky.
50